Change is Good
Lao Tzu said, “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.”
Every year in January the majority of us will set goals for the new year. We may call them New Years Resolutions or goals. They can be personal goals such as our weight or physical fitness goals, or business/financial goals. What ever they are they generally designed to enhance our life in some way.
One thing that I have discovered about myself is realizing when I am pushing a goal to happen in a certain way or time frame, life gets frustrating and hard. But if I step back and look at my goal from the aspect of divine timing, I can usually see that the reason why the goal isn’t progressing. There is something that I am missing, something vital to make it happen. When the progress towards the goal starts to become pushing a boulder uphill, I know now to walk it backward down the hill until the pressure is released.
I step back and re-look at what I am doing. Re-look at the time table. Re-examine the reasons behind the goal to see if I need to adjust what the goal is trying to accomplish. I love the analogy of flowing downstream in a river. There are these little bays or inlets, eddies in the river where you can float in stillness. In these places, you acquire knowledge, skills, make partnerships, etc.., things that will be needed later down river. You have a chance to examine and revise your goals based on new knowledge. Then when the timing is right, you re-enter into the river and flow further downstream.
Lena Horne said, “It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” Stop struggling against the load, Instead, relax and float. You can float for hours. It is the struggle that makes you exhausted, wastes all of your energy and breaks you down, so that you give up.
Go within, where the wisdom and clarity reside. Instead of having to defend ourselves, or prove something, we discover the compassion to simply let life flow forward and outward in simplicity.
Ending with my two favorite Bruce Lee quotes: “Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless like water. You put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. You put water into a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.” And the second one is “there are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there. You must go beyond them.” I wish you success in growing beyond any plateaus that you are currently experiencing in your life. Be water and flow.
Live Your Dreams
If you can see it, you can be it and do it!
Lt Col Brandt, had an idea when she learned that more women pilots were coming to her base. She did the math and realized that they had enough women to do an all female crew to break some records for the longest flight without refueling the aircraft for military aircraft. And that is just what these ladies did. Way to go Ladies – what a great example for the girls growing up to realize that they can be and do anything that they want to with their lives.
This month marks the first anniversary of Lady Hawk Day in the city of Grand Forks, ND. Mayor Mike Brown established the day in recognition of the “Flight of the Lady Hawk,” the longest flight without air refueling on record for a military aircraft, led by an all-women team.
According to Lt. Col. Brandt, what differentiates this particular record from others like it, is that all of the women pilots included in the mission came from the same squadron. Historically, groups have had to reach out to other squadrons or units to get enough women together to achieve a record. And in addition to the six women pilots managing the remote flight, the more than 50 support staff and ground crew were also women.
Capt. Natalie Winkels, one of the pilots who participated in the historic mission, reached out to us to share the group’s incredible accomplishment and to “show aspiring young men and women out there that women are setting world records.”
See more: http://www.womenyoushouldknow.net/flight-of-the-lady-hawk-…/
Limit Less
Growing up in a country that allows girls to participate in any sport that they want to, I am sometimes surprised when I find out how other countries have limitations around sports participation. I am so glad to see evidence that the wheels are turning, even if it is slow at the moment, the momentum is building.
The quote at the end of the article is very telling – “The women of our families leave their homes when they get married only to go to someone else’s home and work there, scrubbing floors and keeping the house clean,” he said. “Is this what we are raising girls for? So they can go to someone’s house and become a maasi (maid)? Why not let the girls come here and train and make something of themselves?”
This is a great article about Pakistan’s first all-girl boxing club. It all started when a 16 year old girl, Khadijah approached the 2013 Sindh boxing champion asking if he would train her. He took her to his coach Younis Qambrani.
Younis Qambrani. said,“I have been training my daughters to box since they could put on a pair of gloves.” His family includes several gold medalists in the sport. Qambrani started including Khadijah in those training sessions. A few days later, another girl showed up asking for training, having heard of Khadijah’s sessions. Word spread and before he knew it, Qambrani had 13 girls in his home, all wanting to become boxers. At that point, the coach knew he had to find a space and an official program for them.
SBA secretary Asghar Baloch, explained that any attempts to bring female players into sports like hockey, cricket, tennis or football have been met with fierce resistance. And so, well before the SBA had to figure out how to fund the camp, Baloch and his colleagues had to make sure the girls would be safeguarded against any criticism from those who believe they have no place in a sports arena.
“Our goal is very simple,” Asghar Baloch explained. “Pakistani male athletes have made our country proud on so many platforms, such as the Olympics, the Commonwealth and Asian Games, and we want our girls to be able to fly our nation’s flag just as high all over the world.”
In order to excel at boxing, the girls must be taught one crucial element of the sport: confidence. “If you had come here just a week ago, the girls would have been too shy to speak to you,” Hussain Qambrani said. “If we ever had visitors, they used to hide behind each other. Now, if they see someone from the media or a visitor to the camp, they come forward to speak to him or her.” If this is what can be achieved in just a week, he feels, imagine how far these girls could go with consistent training. “We want to strengthen both the mind and body,” Hussain Qambrani explained. “If you do not train both, it won’t matter how strong the girl’s body is — she’ll be knocked out in the first punch.”
“Some of my own relatives have even said we are mad for wanting to do this,” said Anam. “We all want to go on to international levels and fight, but I realized that if we keep listening to what people have to say about us, we’ll never make it.” She hopes that once people see the girls fighting, they’ll be encouraged to send their own children into the ring. “I am also someone’s daughter,” she said quietly.
Nadir makes videos of the training session on his phone and shows them to his female relatives. He has brought two cousins to one session, but they’re still too shy to join in and, instead, observe from the sidelines. “The women of our families leave their homes when they get married only to go to someone else’s home and work there, scrubbing floors and keeping the house clean,” he said. “Is this what we are raising girls for? So they can go to someone’s house and become a maasi (maid)? Why not let the girls come here and train and make something of themselves?”
See more: http://nytlive.nytimes.com/…/take-an-exclusive-look-inside…/
No Excuses
Haben Girma takes any excuse that we have right off the table. Haben Girma was the first deaf-blind graduate of Harvard Law School. Today she’s a lawyer at Disability Rights Advocates, a accessible technology campaigner and a keen surfer. She’s also our sixth #WomenOfAfricaunsung hero.
She says, “I grew up facing access barriers as a deaf blind person, and that inspired me to become a lawyer. And work to remove access barriers facing people with disabilities around the world. Graduating from Harvard Law School says a lot about what can be done when people have the right attitude. About 12 years ago, I attended a camp for the blind and met an amazing blind dancer. She taught me my first swing and salsa lessons. I also do tandem surfing. Surfing feels very liberating and exciting. And I love being able to connect with people and to share tactile, kinaesthetic languages. We should try to move towards a more inclusive world, so that it’s no longer a big deal for a deafblind person to go to law school.”
Honored as a White House Champion of Change, Haben Girma is a celebrated speaker, she provided the introductory remarks for the 25th Anniversary of the ADA at the White House. Her TEDxBaltimore Talk has garnered over 175,000 views.
Haben joined Disability Rights Advocates in 2013 as a Skadden Fellow, and became a Staff Attorney in 2015. She helped achieve a legal victory in National Federation of the Blind v. Scribd, the second case to hold that the ADA applies to e-commerce. She received her J.D. in 2013 from Harvard, and her B.A., magna cum laude, in 2010 from Lewis & Clark College. Haben lives in Berkeley, California.
See her families story here: http://madamenoire.com/…/such-an-inspiration-meet-haben-gi…/
See TedX talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mvoj-ku8zk0
Your Life is now
Your Life is now. SEIZE IT and make it amazing.
FIND YOUR VOICE.. Believe in Miracles.
Discover your passion and PURSUE IT. Be honest, generous and kind
SURROUND YOURSELF With Love, Laughter and Truth
Let your heart be your guide. INSPIRE someone.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE.. Be a hero to someone.
Live Your Dream. Be Brave and Wild at Heart
Take Chances, ASK QUESTIONS
BE FEARLESS. Go on a Adventure.
Drink the Wild Air. Kiss slowly.
THIS IS YOUR TIME
Good Samaritan
Loving this Good Samaritan. Firefighters in Tacoma, Washington were buying groceries to make dinner when they received an emergency call. Leaving their groceries they rushed off to their call.
When the emergency had been taken care of, they went back to the grocery store to pay the bill and pick up the groceries. Instead they found their bags packed, the bill paid and a note:
“Enjoy your meals. Thanks for All you do! One veteran to another… God Bless.”
So they in turn posted this to their Facebook page:
Central Pierce Fire & Rescue
Fire Protection · October 25 at 3:59pm ·
Our crew from Station 66 was buying dinner at Safeway when they were dispatched for a CPR call. When they returned to complete the sale, an anonymous caring person had already paid for their food. Whoever you are out there from the Safeway at 132nd at Meridian at South Hill, thank you so much for your generosity!!
Helping others
Robert Norton discovered the truth of how helping others helps you get over your own troubles. He recently lost his mother right before his wedding, which created an emotional roller coaster for his bride and himself.
When he returned from his honeymoon, he discovered that the man who mowed his lawn was walking 2.5 miles with his lawn mower because his car broke down and he couldn’t afford to get it fixed. What stunned him is that the man who mows his lawn is 83 yrs old.
So he and his wife started a GoFundMe account and raised enough money to buy his lawn care man a new truck.
They raised $13,000 and a local car dealer sold him a 2004 Nissan truck at cost and the balance of the funds were used to pay for his auto insurance, license plates and a Home Depot gift card to purchase a new lawn mower.
“He’s going to cut our yard as long as he wants to cut our yard and we’re going to pay him as long as he wants to cut our yard,” said Robert. “I think anybody who is 83 years old who works as hard as he does, as loyal and faithful as he is, his work ethic and character, should have a vehicle to drive and do his work in.”
See more: http://www.liftbump.com/…/90189-man-who-mows-lawns-shows-…/…
Fear is like the Wizard of Oz
Fear is like the Wizard of Oz, projecting itself onto the screen, when in reality it is a small man behind the curtain. Don’t be afraid to move the curtain and expose the fear. Finding the blessing in the fear, is the opportunity to open your heart and mind to the idea of change and reinvention.
Sometimes we consciously choose to change. Other times we stumble upon ( notice the word stumble) an opportunity. Sometimes you trip over something and you catch yourself before the fall, hopping across the floor as you regain your balance. Other times you can trip over something that plants you face on the ground, and has you digging rocks off your skin. Either way there are still choices to make.
Change is an opportunity to reinvent yourself. This is where the stress really hits you fully in the face. Picture the scene in Jurassic Park when the dinosaur screams into the characters face and you can see the hair being blown back by the sheer force of the scream – that is the fear that you feel when presented with the opportunity to reinvent yourself.
The classic opportunities for reinvention tend to come from two things. With a heartbreak such as; losing a job, ending a relationship, the death of a close friend or family member. The classic “good but scary” opportunities for reinvention are; you go away to college, you move to a new town with a new job, you get the really big promotion such as those COO, SEO, CFO types of promotions or the best of all, you decide to be an entrepreneur and your own boss. You fill in the blank that is closest to your life today.
Bringing an idea to life is hard work. You can expect it to cost you more personally, financially, and maybe even reputationally than you thought it would. There are sleepless nights. You become a master of second guessing your choice to make this move.
But like the early explorers in Mexico to truly re-invent yourself you need to burn the boats. Take away the lifeline and go all out for what you are passionate about. Follow your bliss. Look at what is working and not working. What you love to do and hate to do. The key is to get immersed in what you are passionate about and hire help for the rest.
Ways to make it easier: Surround yourself with people who love to learn, share and build. Join or create a mastermind group with people who are putting their ideas into action. Seek out those in your community who solve problems and ask for suggestions. Create that special group of people who will be your cheerleaders, helping you to remain positive and take the risks that need to be taken, instead of holding yourself back.
And remember the three most important words in your fear busting vocabulary: Improvise, Adapt, Overcome
One of those days
Sometimes I have a day where every mistake I made in the past year shows up at my doorstep, all at once. It is overwhelming as they are all vying for my attention. All I hear is the screaming inside my head competing with the screaming happening in the chaos around me.
My self esteem takes a nose dive, as it scrambles away, trying not to get trampled by the growing crowds of people asking if I know what the hell I am doing?
What do you do when you have those days? I decide to make snow angels. If I try to shovel my way out, the snow just keeps falling and in a few minutes I can’t even tell where I was shoveling.
When I have those days, I can’t dig myself out. So rather than beating myself up, calling myself names like loser, screw up, worthless and so on, I choose to go a different path.
I make snow angels. I give myself a forgiveness pass. I acknowledge that I am only human. I love the Christina Perri “Human” song. Sometimes I crash and fall down. That is the best time to make snow angels.
Potter It Forward
An easy to do idea of paying it forward. There is apparently a “Potter It Forward” movement out there that has Harry Potter fans leaving thoughtful inspiring notes in libraries and second hand bookstore copies of the Harry Potter series.
I thought why should we limit it to Harry Potter books or Harry Potter fans? As adults we all had our favorite children’s and teen books we read. What if we put inspirational notes in those books for the children reading them? For the current NY Times bestsellers that we are reading or just finished – what if we put something inspirational in those books?
My favorite Harry Potter quote is “it takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends” – I actually think it takes more bravery to stand up to our friends. That could be a great quote for kids facing peer pressure.
What was your favorite book, either as a child or one you just finished reading? Can you think of a famous quote that might be inspired by the book? Or maybe a quick thought of something wonderful you learned when reading the book?
Next time you are shopping for a book in a store, or checking one out at the library, take a moment and write a quick quote or note and slide it inside a book. It will be like finding a fortune cookie for the person reading the book – tell them to pass it on to someone else in their life they think could benefit from it. Start a movement and make someone smile.
What does it mean to be inspired?
What does it mean to be inspired?
The dictionary definition that I like the best is: a divine influence or action on a person believed to qualify him or her to receive and communicate sacred revelation.
I think of it as the act of drawing in breath, breathing in god’s heart and mind.
Like most of us, I have a dream. LemonadeMakers is my vision that pulls me through each and every day. The space it currently occupies is a wide chasm from where I believe it can go. I know, from the bottom of my soul, that this is why I was born. And if I let my mind go wild, it is terrifying to think of everything that I need to do in order to grow it into what it is meant to do.
That is where inspiration comes in. It gives me the confidence to admit I don’t know it all, but I can find someone who does.
It gives me the courage to think outside the box to figure out a way to get everything done on a shoestring budget.
It helps me use my favorite words of improvise, adapt and overcome when I come up against 2-ton boulders that block my way. It gives me super powers to blast those boulders into pebbles and continue on my journey.
It gives me the grace to let someone else take the wheel when I am tired and not think that I have to do it all myself.
It empowers me, refueling my tank when it is low to keep on the path to the next destination.
Inspiration is the key to the kingdom.
Inspiration
What does it mean to be inspired?
The dictionary definition that I like the best is: a divine influence or action on a person believed to qualify him or her to receive and communicate sacred revelation.
I think of it as the act of drawing in breath, breathing in God’s heart and mind.
Like most of us, I have a dream. LemonadeMakers is my vision that pulls me through each and every day. The space it currently occupies is a wide chasm from where I believe it can go. I know, from the bottom of my soul, that this is why I was born. And if I let my mind go wild, it is terrifying to think of everything that I need to do in order to grow it into what it is meant to do.
That is where inspiration comes in. It gives me the confidence to admit I don’t know it all, but I can find someone who does.
It gives me the courage to think outside the box to figure out a way to get everything done on a shoestring budget.
It helps me use my favorite words of improvise, adapt and overcome when I come up against 2 ton boulders that block my way. It gives me super powers to blast those boulders into pebbles and continue on my journey.
It gives me the grace to let someone else take the wheel when I am tired and not think that I have to do it all myself.
It empowers me, refueling my tank when it is low to keep on the path to the next destination.
Inspiration is the key to the kingdom.
